We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.

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Enrollment

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Completed

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Currently, I have been able to venture into farming by buying hybrid maize seeds and fertilizer to help increase the farm produce and boost the growth within a small span of time. My family solely depends on farming for the generation of income to cater to our daily provisions like buying food and paying fees for our children easily. With the transfers, my children have had ample time staying in school and concentrating on their studies as I would use tha transfers to settle the fees in time.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

I have a goal of leasing a farm to expand on my farming which will help in the generation of income for my family.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

I can confess that my life is totally different at this time. I have easy access to cash and even if I borrow money from someone, I am capable of paying it back once I receive the transfer. Recently, I lost my father-in-law and I was required to go to his funeral. That is exactly when we received our transfers. We were able to pool them together with my wife's and incited a few friends to go to the funeral with. The transfer came at the right time as I would have been stuck financially at that moment.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

I expect to venture into livestock farming for the financial security of the family. I believe by then I shall have saved and bought livestock which will help in the generation of income to help us improve our lifestyles. By then, I shall have leased the farm and expanded my farming further and this will see us have financial security as a family.

16th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($22 USD)

access_time 2 months ago

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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?

My life is currently different from how it was four months ago because l am able to pay the school fee for my children without too much pressure as I used to given that I am getting money every month without fail.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

My new goal is to start saving and buy plastering materials and complete plastering the house that I had started. I could not complete plastering my house because of lack of money, but now I am very sure I will complete it through support by GiveDirectly.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

The biggest difference in my daily life that I am now managing to pay my children’s school fees on time. I do this without pressure too given that I have the money to. I have also been able to meet my son’s school needs. He is neat when going to school.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

In the next six months, l expect to have completed plastering my house and staying in it comfortably. I know it will be a shock to many because the house has stayed in that condition for so long that people knew that it will never be plastered.

12th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($23 USD)

access_time 6 months ago

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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?

We had taken a loan from a local Sacco to pay our son's school fees. Paying the loan has been the biggest challenge in our lives because we do not have a stable source of income as a family. We were able to use our tranfers in the last few months and cleared the loan which has given us quite a relief and enabled us to fucus on other developments in the family.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

My current pit latrine is in a very bad condition and might collapse any time especially now that we are approaching the rainy season. Our plan is to save the next transfers as a family to enable us construct a new one as soon as possible.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

My daily life has generally improved in the last four months because I was able to clear a loan I had taken to pay for my son's school fees. The worry of raising the money to clear the loan stressed me up and strained my family's budget because we had to do all we could to repay the loan to avoid more interest that we would accrue due to delayed payments. These transfers helped me clear the entire loan in such a short period of time and I can't explain how happy I am.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

In the next six months, I hope to be living in a better condition than I am now. This is because I am currently planning to plaster our house which will improve its general appearance and make it durable as well. This will also give my wife a break from the constant renovations that she has to do after every rainy season. Since our house is made of mud, it is usually easily destroyed by the rains hence the repairs.

8th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($22 USD)

access_time 10 months ago

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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?

Four months ago I never had a latrine because the one that I had before collapsed during the rainy season. My family was therefore then forced to go to the bush to relieve themselves whenever they felt pressed, something that was so embarrassing. Right now we have a new latrine so everyone gets relieved within the compound and the embarrassments no longer exist. The health officers who were also harassing me every time no longer come to my place.

Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?

With the cash transfers still trickling in, I expect to plaster my entire house because the walls are just made of mud. So the target is to buy a few bags of cement and sand that I will use to transform it into a semi-permanent house that will be durable.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.

I have been able to construct a new house which I never had before. The house is bigger than what I had before which means that my family members will be comfortably accommodated in the house without us having to squeeze in the small structure. I initially used to live in a grass thatched house that used to leak so much whenever it rained.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

Paying school fees for my son who just completed his primary school education remains as the primary target for me right now and I expect to accomplish the task with some ease due to the cash that I will be getting from the organization. I do not want him to stay at hoe and miss classes due to lack of school fees that is why i will have to ensure that he goes to school, and get the best education for him to have a better life in the future.

4th Payment

Transfer Amount

2280 KES ($23 USD)

access_time 1 year ago

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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have enough to eat. I do not miss a meal like it was before.

How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?

In the next six months,I expect to living more comfortably given that I will be getting money every month.

How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?

I am aged and I cannot do a lot of hard labor,so were it not for this transfers,I could still be working in people's farms to help me raise money for food.

Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?

My new goal is to buy a welding machine given that I am a welder and this will get me more income.

Enrolled

access_time over 1 year ago

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

The biggest hardship I have ever faced in my life is my financial incapacitation that has made it difficult for me to build a good house. My roof keeps leaking every rainy season, thereby giving me and my family sleepless nights.

What is the happiest part of your day?

My happiest part of the day is in the evening when my children are back from school and we are all sitted to have a meal as we have a reflection of the day and sharing other stories with my kids.

What are you planning to spend your transfer on?

I am planning to spend the transfer on building a new house

What is the achievement you are proudest of?

The achievement that I am most proud of is that I once bought a goat in the year 2012. That goat has since given birth several times. I have sold most of the goats and made profit out of that. The good thing is that the remaining goats will also give birth in the future and I will still make money out of that.